Collar and collar stiffener



Nov; 24, 1931. H. P. GRAY ET AL COLLAR AND COLLAR STIFFENER Filed Dec. 22. 1928 Patented Nov. 24, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT orrlcs' HAROLD P. GRAY, GEORGE W. J'ONES, AND HARVEY D. ROBERSON, OF LEOMINSTEB,

MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNORS '10 WACHUSETT SHIRT 00., OF LEOMINSTER, MASSA- CHUSETTS, A. CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS corms. AND COLLAR smrmmn Application filed December 22, 1988. Serial No. 327,994.

This invention relates to soft collars and has particular reference to means for permanently stiffening the points of the collars.

Heretofore it has been-usual to stiffen the 5 points of a collar by inserting'a piece of starched fabric between the outer and inner fabric portions of the collar. This method of stiffening is not entirely satisfactory, however, since it does not give suilicient stiffness,

and the stiffness disappears and cannot be re ained after the collar has been laundered.

%t is an obiect of the present invention to provide a collar with point-stiffening means which is not afiected by the laundering process or by the detergents used in laundering and which retains the points permanently stiff during the life of the collar.

A further object of the invention is they A yet further object of the invention is the provision of a. collar having its pointsstiffened by a cellulose-coated fabric stiffener which is inserted between and is attached to the fabric layers of the collar.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a stiffener for the point of a collar composed of a sheet of fibrous material, as a suitable fabric, which is coated onone and 0 preferably both sides, or impregnated, with a stiffening film of water-insoluble colloidal material as nitro-cellulose.

A further object is generally to improve upon collars and stiifeners therefor.

5 Fig. l is a plan viewof a collar embodying the present invention turned up from the attached band. p I Fig. 2 is a detail of the construction of the collar at a point thereof and illustrating the manner of uniting the outer and inner plies pressure of ironing and will not of the collar by the edge seams, prior to the turning of the collar. 5

Fig 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing in dotted lines the position of the stiffeners in the points of the collar.

Fig. at is a detail view of one of the points of the collar with. one of the fabric plies re moved to expose the stiffener.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the stiffener comprising part of the present invention.

F Fig. 6 is a section taken along line 66 of l ig. 7 is an enlarged section of the stiffener taken along line 77 of Fig. 5.

The collar here shown for purposes of illustration is attached to a shirt but the invention can be applied equally well to adetached collan.

'The collar is composed of two plies or layers 10a and 10b of fabric with or without the usual linings l0c'wh1ch are united at the edge by a line of edge stitching 12 as shown in big. 2. The attached. fabric layers are then turned inside out in the usual manner to locate the line of edge stitching at the outside edge of the collar. The fabric layers are free at their inner edges andthese edges are interposed between ,the outer and inner fabric layers. of the band 14 and are attached to-.

.gether and to the band by a line of stitching 16. The collar is shaped to provide points 18 which, in accordance with this invention, are

provided with stiffening means.

In accordance with this invention the stiffener 20, see Figs. 4: through 7, consists of a fibrous, as a fabric, body 20a which has a more or less triangular configuration to conform with the outline of the collar point. The fabric is stiffened tothe required degree b treating it with a stiffening agent which pref erably is composed of a cellulose ester as a. nitro-cellvlose such as pyroxyline or celluloid. Preferably, the fabric is coated on both sides with a solution of IlltIO-CGllulOSQ in a.

volatile solvent which, when the solvent has evaporated, leaves the solid films or layers 20?) on op osite faces of the fabric. If desired, the abric can be impregnated with the stiffening solution although in practice it is found that the coating of the fabric on opposite sides gives excellent results. The coating solution is relatively thin and fluid so that it penetrates the fabric to a considerable degree and is adherent to the strands and fibres of the fabric body. The nitro-cellulose films impart the desired degree of stiffness to the stiffener and the degree of stiffness can be varied by varying the thickness of the films, either by regulating the amount of solution spread onto the fabric or by varying the proportionof intro-cellulose in the coating solution.

The stifiener is inserted in the point of the collar, between the outer and inner fabric layers 10a and 10?) thereof in the position shown in Fig. 3. The usual top line of stitching 22 is then sewed into the collar around the margin thereof'and through the fabric layers and also through the stiffener, thus uniting the stifiener ermane-ntly in place in the polnt of the col ar. The collar is then inserted between the usual outer and inner plies of the band and is attached thereto by the line of stitching 16, which also passes throu b one end of the-stiffener. The complet collar may be ironed under ressure to straighten the stiffener, the heat 0 ironing softening the thin stifiening films so that the ironing pressure can straighten them, if warped; and the films when cool will retain their straightened form.

The stifi'ener constructed and applied as above described is highly satisfactory. It imparts the required degree of stiffness to the oint of the coilar and yet is flexible. The sti ness is not deleteriously effected by water or by the ordinary detergents used in launderin or by the heat and pressure of ironing and t us preserves its stifiness throughout the life of the collar. The stiffening films do not crack on flexing due to their thinness and to the reinforcements provided by the fabric 20a. The stiffener will not break at the line of stitching 22 since the fabric fibres bond together the film sheets on both sides of the stitching. The stiffener can be inserted easily into the point of the collar since the edges of the stifi'ener are smooth and free from sharp projecting parts which might catch on the fabric of the collar. The fabric sheet 20a cannot fra because the films 20?) hold the edge stran s of the fabric sheet in place. The stiffener cannot readily curl because both sides of the fabric body 20a have a film adherently attached thereto. If the stifi'ener becomes warped in washing the heat and pressure of ironing softens the films sufficiently to straighten them.

With the usual starched stifi'ener it has been necessary to secure the body of the stiffener to the collar by means additional to the lines of stitching 22 and 16 to prevent the stiffener from curling when in use. The present stiffener will not curl so that the regular lines'of stitching 22 alone are suf- 'ficient to hold it place without further than such collars and is free from the defects of such collars.

While the stifiening or film-forming material of the stiffener has herein been specii.

fically described as a nitro-cellulose, it can as well be another cellulose ester as cellulose acetate, or other material capable of giving equally good results when used as above describe We claim:

1. A soft collar which at the point thereof is composed of outer and inner plies and has a point-stiifenerconsisting of acellulose-coated fabric body which is interposed between said fabric plies and which is sewed to said plies by a line of top stitching which follows the free edge .of the collar and passes through two of the edge-portions of the stifiener, and a second line of stitching which secures another edge of the stiffener to said plies.

2. A soft collar consisting at its point of outer and inner fabric layers, and a point stifi'ener which is interposed between and is attached only at the edge thereof to said fabric layers at the point only of the collar the collar elsewhere bein free from the stiffener, said point sti ener consisting of a fibrous bod containing a flexible water-insoluble sti ening agent which is adherently united with the fibres of said fibrous body.

3. A soft collar containing at the point only thereof a stiffener consisting of a textile bod having adherent to both sides thereof flexi 1e sheets of water-insoluble stiffening material in colloidal form.

4. A soft collar containing therein at the vpoint thereof a stiffener consistin of a textile body having adherent to both sides thereof flexible sheets of celluloid.

5. A soft collar containing between the outer and inner fabric plies thereof at the point a point-stififener consisting of a cellulose-coated fabric body which is stitched to both plies of the collar.

6. A soft collar containing therein at the point thereof a stiffener composed of a fibrous sheet containing a stiffening agent which re tains its stiffness permanently and is insensible to water and to laundering detergents, and is free from cracking when flexed.

7. A soft collar consisting of outer and inner fabric layers, and a point stiffener interposed between and attached only at the edge thereof to said fabric layers at the point llEi only of the collar, the collar elsewhere beiiizig free from saifi point stifiener, said point sti ener consisting of a flexible fibrous body which is coated with a water-insoluble cel- 5 lulose ester which constitutes a stiffening agent for said flexible body.

In testimony whereof, we have signed our homes to fshis specification.

HARULD P. GRAY. GEURGE W. JONES.

IPVEY D. ROBERSON. 

